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Manhattan's Mr Fix-it

Great concierges are the lifeblood of grand city hotels, the tireless
networkers, major miracle workers and effortless fixers who transform the
mundane into the memorable. The greats are known throughout the industry.
Ask the cognoscenti in Hong Kong who is top-notch and they will tell you
Giovanni Valenti , chief concierge at the Mandarin Oriental for the past
three decades; enquire in New York and you’ll doubtless be referred to
Frederick Bigler of the Peninsula (above).

Bigler, winner of Ultratravel’s 2008 Mastercard Priceless Award, is known as a
concierge who can achieve the almost-impossible (for instance, getting
guests into the Rainbow Room in New York on New Year’s Eve – which is a bit
like securing a box next to the Queen’s at Royal Ascot). Not only can he
tell you which galleries to visit (the three Gagosians “for their modernist
works”, and the Frick Collection “for masterpieces from the Renaissance to
the 19th century” ), where to shop (Nolita , “for up-and-coming designers”)
and which are the hottest bars (The Darby in the Meatpacking District and
Plunge at the Hotel Gansevoort ), but he has every top maître d’ on
speed-dial and can get tickets for a sold-out Broadway show on a Saturday
night. In hotel industry circles, these attributes make his move last year
from the Ritz-Carlton to the Peninsula a little like Fernando Torres moving
from Liverpool to Chelsea – only with better results. Here are some of his
tips for making the most of Manhattan in early summer:

1. To secure hard-to-get tickets for a Broadway show with a Tony buzz (the
awards ceremony is on June 12), go to the theatre on the day of the show.
“That’s when box offices release any cast members’ seats that are not being
used. It happens every day. Regarding what to see, we might be pleasantly
surprised by Spider-Man when it opens on June 3. The Book of Mormon, by the
creators of South Park, is hysterical.”

2. Go to the new Yankee Stadium or Citi Field (home of the New York Mets)
for a baseball game and a gourmet meal. “Some of the city’s top celebrity
chefs cook at these venues; the food at the Legends Suite at Yankee Stadium
is amazing.”

3. Shakespeare in the Park , which runs from June 6 to July 30 in Central
Park, has grown tenfold in popularity. “Tickets are available on a
first-come, first-served basis, but for US$100 (about £60) one can become a
sponsor and guarantee tickets.”

4. Take advantage of dining spots and rooftop bars with views. “From the River
Café to the Peninsula’s own Salon de Ning , there are dozens of places
where you can enjoy city panoramas.”

5. Go out to the Hamptons. “Stay at The Baker House 1650 (bakerhouse1650.com)
or The Mill House (millhouseinn.com).
The most fun way to get there is on the V1 seaplane: US$495 (£300).”